A Brooklyn Secret
by Joker is Poker with a J
Summary: They had thought their leader just like them, they didn't know he had been harboring a secret...You don't marry someone you can live with you marry the person who you cannot live without. OneShot


** A Brooklyn Secret**

** By: Joker is Poker with a J**

**Summary: They had thought their leader just like them, they didn't know he had been harboring a secret..."You don't marry someone you can live with - you marry the person who you cannot live without." One-Shot.**

**A Note From Joker: I know...ANOTHER ONE! I'm throwing these out like...like FRISBEES! Fun! Well...I don't own anything you recognize blah blah blah...and also...uh...I forget...so if I remember, i'll write a note at the bottom...THANKS! Enjoy.**

Spot twirled his cane around his fingers, watching the man approach him. The man had an air about him, an air of command, authority.

He moved with grace, his hair a sandy blonde, his eyes the same lightning blue as his sons'. He stopped in front of the Brooklyn leader, their eyes meeting for the first time in five years, "So...You've become their, 'leader.'" The man said, watching his son jump from the throne of crates.

The boy, for he was not yet a man, held his father's gaze daring the man to make any more such comments, "How'd ya fine me?" He finally asked, gaze shifting to his boys. Some were swimming, some playing poker or marbles, or like the young boys, playing toss-penny. Few had taken interest at the high brow come to see their leader. It happened more then naught.

"I know people, Adam. And I know how to find my son. I'm a lawyer." The older man shot, watching his son, the son that failed him.

"I tink Ise know dat." Spot said, and nearly laughed when his father grimaced at his accent.

"Don't talk like that! Your mother and I did not raise you as a...as a-"

"What? Street rat?" Spot asked, voice going ice cold.

His father glowered, "Sure, son, a Street rat. Now, I've come here because I have just made a deal with an old friend. His daughter needs a husband, and you need to come back to reality. You are the son of a very rich and popular Lawyer, and you now have a fiance!"

The Brooklyn King stared in shock. A wife! No! And not only because it was his father telling him to, who he had hated since he was ten, but the fact that he'd be tied to one woman? Yeah, right! "No ways." He told him, barely able to get the words out.

"Yes way, and if you don't show up tomorrow at 11:30, dressed _properly_ I will have you arrested and shipped off to join the Army!" And with that said, the older man spun around.

Now, go to a tea party, or the Army? Neither sounded very appealing.

At 11:31 the next morning, Spot stood in the sitting room, his mother reprimanding him for letting his hands become so calloused. "Sit up straight, Adam." "How could you let your hair get so long, Adam?" "I wish I had more time to fix you up, Adam!"

Finally, at noon, the door bell rang and in ushered was a couple and a girl. The girl, while not shockingly beautiful, was very pretty. Her dark hair was whisked up in the back, tendrils falling into her face. Her dress was a shimmering green, making her curves more voluptuous and her eyes, which matched, pop out.

Alright, so maybe it wouldn't be so entirely bad, but married? It didn't sound like Spot Conlon. It sounded like Anthony Conlon, his brother, or even Aaron, but not him. Especially because his father asked him to.

"Aaralyn, this is my son, Adam. Adam, this is Aaralyn Venerela."

Aaralyn, that was a pretty name. Of course it was an 'a', his mother's favorite letter, "Nice to meet you." He told her, it wasn't her fault, "Aaralyn's a very pretty name."

She seemed to force a smile, while something else flickered in her eyes, "Thank you, it's nice to meet you, too."

"Well, you two go run along." His mother ushered them out, and shut the doors. He hadn't even met her parents. Oh well.

They stood there a moment, quiet. "So..." He started, and she grabbed his hand.

"Follow me!" She said, pulling him outside, and towards the bad part of Brooklyn. Uh-oh. If anyone saw him...well, they probably wouldn't recognize him, but still...some of the smarter boys, like Novel, might recognize him.

She weaved them through the city, seeming to know it as well as him, and at last they stopped. They stood in a small park in Brooklyn, one of the finer places in this part of the city, and it nearly, to say the least, took his breath away.

"Wow, it's beautiful." He said, impressed that this girl would know more about his beloved city then he himself knew.

"I know!" She said, "I figured, if we're gonna be married, you should know where I go to think."

"And you don't mind? Y'know, being married to a strange guy?"

She sat on a nearby swing, and looked up at him, "I did mind, at first. But, then I met you. You don't seem so bad. Figured it'd be much worse, if it was someone who gave me the creeps."

He sat down on the swing next to hers, "But, you know, You don't marry someone you can live with - you marry the person who you cannot live without." He smirked. He had actually gotten that from Novel, who, like his name, read it in a novel.

Aaralyn gave a laugh, a musical sounding one, and touched his arm slightly, "Aren't you a dream boy." She sombered, "You know it doesn't work that way, Spot."

They were quiet a moment, and he turned his head sharply. The same time she stood up. "What'd you call me?" He asked.

"Uhh...Adam?" She said, more like guessed.

"No! Youse called me Spot! Who are you? How do youse know, and who have you told?" He fired question after question, and she took a step back.

"Uh, calm down. I am Aaralyn, I know because I've seen you around. And I haven't told anyone." She licked her lips, "Really. I've...spent a LOT of time roaming Brooklyn. My parents thought I was prostituting, so they sent me to the doctors to find out if I was still a virgin." She blushed, "I am, so they wanted to marry me off right away, and they asked your parents. I didn't know!" she exclaimed, finally looking up at him, "I was surprised to see you, but I didn't know before this..." she trailed off to find him laughing. Laughing!

"Sorry." He gasped, calming the laughter, "Sorry, you looked so guilty, I couldn't help but laugh!"

Aaralyn glared, but then smiled, "So you aren't mad?"

Spot finally stopped, and smiled, "How can I be mad? All you did was recognize me."

She smiled at him, "Okay!" and took his hand. "Let's go walk!"

Spot gave another laugh, but followed. This girl was something! She was so sweet, and bright! She hadn't even judged him for being the Leader of the Brooklyn Newsies. Maybe, just maybe, if he married her he'd be free from his parents. He could continue to be a newsie for a year or more, and then retire. No one would ever know, save Aaralyn and his father (who hadn't told his mother or brothers), that Adam Conlon and Spot Conlon were one in the same.

Wait? Was he actually considering marry her? Impossible! No, he couldn't marry. No one would ever expect Spot Conlon to marry!

'But, that would be good! No one would expect it, so you could really show people that you can do whatever you want! And look at your bride! She's not bad looking at all!' A little voice said.

The boys would like her. They didn't much like the sassy girls, but the sweet ones they thought were just that, sweet. They wouldn't harm her. She'd probably even like half of them! Or even all!

"Watcha thinkin' 'bout?" she asked, swinging their clasped hands. He hadn't even known they were still holding hands. But, somehow...it seemed right.

"A lot of things." He told her truthfully.

She cocked her head in an incredibly cute way. "Like...being married to a flaky girl?"

He nearly choked on his words. "Flaky!"

She looked down a moment, and nodded, "Don't worry, I hear all the boys call me that. They think I'm always off in my own little world. They're just mad because I ignore them...that's what mother says. But, I am flaky. I know so it won't hurt if you refuse to marry me."

Ok, he wasn't cold and heartless, and in the half hour they'd been together she had gained a soft spot from him, "You're _not_ flaky!" He told her, stopping and pulling her close, "If anyone _ever_ calls you that again, tell me. Ise'll soak 'em to an inch of der life!"

Her bright green eyes stared into his blue ones, wide and innocent, "Really? You don't think I'm flaky?"

"No." He said sharply, then gave a small smile, "You're sweet."

She blushed, "Thank you." She said, sincerity and happiness making themselves known. She smiled brightly, "You'd really do that for me?"

"Yes." He said, as they began walking again.

"Wow, I got to see Spot Conlon in a suit!" She said, more like mused, a few minutes later, glancing as him from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, well...it won't be the last." He informed her staunchly.

She furrowed her brow, "What d'ya mean?"

"I'm gonna accept your hand." He glanced over and saw her staring straight ahead, not saying a word.

She finally stopped and turned to face him, "No. You can't. Like you said, You don't marry someone you can live with - you marry the person who you cannot live without. You can't marry me, Spot. You can live without me."

"No, I wanna marry you." He told her firmly, "So give me your hand, and lets go tell your parents."

But, she didn't give it, "No, Spot. I can't let you do this. I'd rather be an old maid, then a wife who's husband is cheating on her because he doesn't love her."

"Too bad, because I'm going to marry you, and I won't cheat. Is that what you're afraid of?" He asked, watching her eyes.

"Well, you don't got exactly the best reputation."

"Look, Aara, I left my home when I was eleven, swearing never to do anything my parents wanted me to do. My father told me I'd marry you, or I'd be signed up for the army."

She glared at him, "So you're gonna marry me to save from going in the army!"

"NO! That's what he said, but, I wanna marry you anyway. There's no one I'd rather marry." He told her.

She watched his eyes, watched the truth in them, and gave a small smile, "Really? No one else?"

"No one else. Cross my heart." He told her.

"Wow, bet most girls would only dream to here Spot Conlon say those words to them." She blushed.

He laughed at her modestly, and looked around, "Ok, now it's your turn to follow me." He grabbed her hand, and they headed toward one of the places he knew best.

As they reached the Docks, he heard her gasp. Stopping at the end of one, they stared at the setting sun. "It's so beautiful!" She exclaimed, and he watched her watch it.

After stressful days, he'd come here and sit. Just sit and watch the sun set, and the boats dock. He hadn't ever took anyone here. "Yup." He told her, turning to watch it, too.

An hour later they walked into the sitting room, and their parents looked up, "My, my, you two sure have been gone long."

They took a seat next to each other, and his father looked at Aaralyn, "So, what do you think of my boy? Fine young man, hmm?"

Aara blushed, "Oh, yes. A real gentlemen."

"So, Aaralyn, darling, is the wedding still on?" Spot assumed this was her mother. She looked almost exactly like Aara, except her hair was blonde.

Everyone turned to Aara, and she blushed at all the attention.

"Yes."

They all turned to Spot, his father raising an eyebrow, "Really?" He drawled.

"Really, father. I want to marry Aaralyn, with the permission of her parents, of course."

"Of course!" Her father boomed, looking extremely pleased.

"Very well, we should be back tomorrow, noon, to start preparations!" Mrs. Venerela.

They said their farewells, and not a minute after, Spot left for the Lodging House. He arrived and his boys all greeted him. He lifted his hand in a wave, and trudged off to bed. To tired to play poker or anything else. He was getting married.

Two months later, him and Aaralyn got married, the wedding extravagant, but not many people. Aara confessed that she didn't have any close friends to be bridesmaids, and Spot didn't want to tell his boys yet, so that meant no groomsmen.

So they were married, July 17th, 1900.

One clear day, Spot was selling his papes, when a good looking girl went by, "Buy a pape, lady?" He asked, twinkle in his eyes.

The girl turn and smiled at him, "Of course. But, it doesn't seem relevent, _husband_." She put emphasis on the last word.

He smirk, "Well, Ise just thought a pretty goil like yerself..." He smiled, and took a step closer to her, "Hows your day so far?" He whispered to Aara.

She gave a small giggle, "I'll tell ya, it's just gotten a little better." She gave a wink.

"Well, You know what? I got a new love quote for you." He told her.

"Really? Is it another from Novel?"

"Where else would I get it?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

She gave a laugh, "Alright, let's hear it, boy."

"Within you I lose myself, Without you I find myself Wanting to be lost again." He smirked and she smiled.

"That's very lovely." She told him, "I've got one for you."

"What?"

"I'm sure my husband will just love it!" She told him.

"What's the quote?"

"Really want to know?"

"Yes. That's why I said, 'what's the quote?'." He shot back, annoyance flashing in his eyes.

She leaned in, and he leaned in. And, right there, in the middle of the street, she kissed him. When she pulled away, she told him, "A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."

He laughed. And she laughed, and the world laughed with the couple. For they had found the person who they couldn't live without.

**A/N: haHA! There? A romantic story, not sad and depressing but very happy! And fun! So, please review! Tell me what you think. Spot did eventually tell his boys (just didn't put it anywhere in there...if you were wondering, he's not a total coward lol) so...yeah thanks for reading, please review!**


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